You are walking along the beach at Mystery Island, enjoying the warm sun and the blue ocean waves lapping at your feet. You are just strolling along, daydreaming about nothing in particular, when suddenly, half buried in the sand at your feet, you see something glinting in the sunlight. Something you've always wanted to find, ever since you were younger. A message in a bottle.

Excitedly, you pick it up and work on getting the cork out. After some pulling with gritted teeth, it pops out, and you shake the bottle until... leaves fall out. Big ones.
Huh?! you think, This isn't a message after all! But then you notice that someone has written, in what appears to be berry juice, on most of them. On one, there is a childish stick-figure drawing. Carefully holding one of the leaves in your hand, so that it doesn't tear, you begin to read:

- - -

Hello, to whoever is reading this!

Well, hi! This is Gooseberry Valen, a Speckled Gelert. You can just call me Gooseberry if you want to, though! Um... how am I going to start explaining? Oh, well see, I meant to go audition for the next Pet Spotlight... but then FV got us (me and Gio) involved in one of his ideas again!

And now we're stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere... it's kind of near Mystery Island, actually, a little far off though. You can't see it from the shore of Mystery Island though. At least, I don't think so... I've never been here before though, so since I didn't know it existed until now, I never looked for it from the Mystery Island Shore... does that make sense? Oh, I'm getting distracted! Gio and my owner say I do that really easily!!! Anyway, nobody lives here! Just us and these... strange, scary Petpets. In some ways it is cool, but now I agree with Gio, we need to get off this island! Anyway, I'm writing this on some big leaves I found today (I'm using berry juice as ink- hope you can read all this!)

You're probably wondering how everything happened, so I wrote you guys a poem!!! Well, Gio helped a little bit... she made sure that almost everything rhymes, and she helped me spell some of the bigger words. Gio's younger than me and FV, but she is a lot smarter than us about some things...

Oh, and I almost forgot! Gio's a Mutant Tonu, and FV's a Ghost Tuskaninny, just so you know. Okay, here's the poem!!!!

We are stuck on this big island- me, Gio, and FV.
We've been here for a day or two (Oh wait! Gio says three!)

It all started back when we were at Mystery Island (Giana took us there for a vacation)
FV sneaked away from all of us, without an explanation!

Me and Gio looked around, but no one was paying attention to us.
So we ran after FV, before anyone could see and make a fuss.

"Where are you going? You'll get us in trouble!" nervous Gio hissed.
But FV said, "Hah! Yeah right, we'll never even be missed!"

As we ran after FV to the far side of the beach, we heard the sky rumble.
"Oh no, oh no! Here comes a thunderstorm!" I heard Gio mumble.

FV jumped in to a little boat, floating near the shore.
I jumped in after him, leaving Gio to shiver in the downpour.

Then we heard Gio shout, louder then she ever had,
"Come on guys, let's go. This is going to end bad!"

"Giana always says, to never, ever play
in, or around water when a storm is on the way!"

I realized Gio was right, and at her I turned to stare.
But FV shouted, "C'mon Gio! You know that I don't care!"

I almost jumped out of the boat, but just then Gio jumped in too.
I think she wanted to push us out, but her plan went askew!

Her added weight gave the boat a jolt,
and out to deeper waters the boat began to float!

Gio began to yell, but she couldn't jump out-
Gio can't swim, she'd just flounder about!

She shouted for FV to get out and push the boat back,
but he looked quite entertained, and then let out a laugh!

Being a Tuskaninny, he can swim perfectly,
but he was enjoying the drama- well that is FV!

Also, since he's a ghost, he could just fly out and pull the boat back,
but because he is FV, he would rather see Gio have a heart attack!

We were floating far, far out in the sea, when Gio started to cry.
"You've gone too far this time, FV! What if we all die?"

"It's okay, Gio!" I said softly, "It'll be all right,"
but she just whimpered quietly, worried about our plight.

We floated and floated in the little boat, for what felt like over an hour,
and meanwhile, me and Gio huddled together, drenched from the shower.

FV stood up, rocking the boat, and spread his arms out-
laughing like a lunatic, he caught rain drops in his mouth.

Then, with a look of great surprise, FV let out a shout,
"Land!" he exclaimed, and waved his tail about.

"Hmm?" whispered Gio, who was looking rather green and sad.
I remembered how easily she always gets sick, and I felt really bad.

We jumped out of the boat, and crawled up on to this new sand.
Gio just lied down and fell asleep, so happy to finally be back on land.

When we awoke the next morning, Gio was very upset-
she thought Giana would be very worried, and very, very sad.
Gio said that FV's idea had been very, very BAD.

And to make it all worse, the boat had disappeared from sight!
Gio looked like she wanted to cry, and with FV started to fight!

She pleaded with him to fly back to Mystery Island, and tell Giana to come for us two.
FV said, "C'mon, Gio! Let's at least explore for a day, and then we'll worry about what to do!"

But really, being on this huge island by ourselves isn't too bad at all!
(Except for the strange Petpets with stingers- from the trees they fall!)

Gio cracks open coconuts, so we can have the milk to drink!
FV goes swimming to catch fish for us (which is really neat I think!)

We play in the sun and the surf every afternoon...
except for Gio who just wants to leave soon!

Now it's the third day, but still FV won't go!
He says he loves this island, he says he'll miss it so!

I told FV that Giana is really sad.
Gio tried to tell FV that Giana is probably mad.

FV doesn't care about that... or this...
that to win the Pet Spotlight is my dearest wish!

I had forgotten that I was supposed to try out!
When I reminded Gio, she started to shout...

She scolded FV, and said he was to blame
'cause I couldn't try out for Pet Spotlight, and win myself some fame!

But then I had an idea, about just what to do!
We'd send a letter off in a bottle, and hope it gets to you!

And then when you get it (cause I’m sure you’re very kind)
You can go find Giana, and then us she can come and find!

We finally found a bottle, half hidden in the ground!
Gio and I hugged each other, and then we danced around!

And so we are sending this off, and we hope someone finds it fast!
Because it's been okay so far, but can our good fortune last?

So please hurry up, and save us from these weird Petpets and FV!
(Oh, and since this has been so traumatic, winning Pet Spotlight would make me happy!) ;)

Anyway, what do you think of my poem? Isn't it good? It took me a while, so I hope you like it! Also, I REALLY, REALLY hope I can win Pet Spotlight! That would be a dream come true! But anyway, you need to come and get us now, okay?! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. Cause our owner Giana (Gia) is probably really upset! So please, go find her! And then, please go find the Pet Spotlight people, and give them this letter! It's my entry! The picture I drew is of me, Gio, and FV. I know it isn't great, but all I have is berry juice! Oh, and if this is the Pet Spotlight people, then you already have this letter, which is awesome! And if you’re Gia... um... I have to go, that Petpet is waving its stinger at me!!!!

- - -

You shake your head, amazed at what this poor Gelert has gotten himself into. Or what… FV… has gotten him into. Shaking your head again, you set of towards Neopia Central, first to the Police Station, and then to Pet Spotlight…

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